Queers To Watch Out For: The Contemporary Lives of Classic Heroines
by Cheshireteeth
Summary: One-shots of our favorite Disney and Non-Disney Cartoon heroines/heroes as they live their all-too-real lives as LGBTQ in your average U.S. town.
1. Pocahontas

*Disclaimer: The following characters are owned by Disney, Fox and/or other producers, I have simply revisioned them. The following may include quotes and references to such stories*

Pocahontas

Seated on an old, gnarled tree stump, Pocahontas breathed in the warm summer wind. The breeze was gentle enough so that she could set up her canvas and still faintly smell bonfires built across the lake.

She closed her eyes, remembering the bonfires back on the Reservation. Smoky sparks billowed in the air, dancing to the beat of the drums. A warm feeling grew in her heart. She yearned for home. She missed her grandmother perhaps most of all. She taught Pocahontas all she knew; art, planting, life…

She opened her eyes. She hadn't seen Grandmother Willow for years. Happily bound to her land, she lives in a small creaky house Pocahontas once knew so well. She frowned and sifted through her small basket of paints.

A figure surfaced in the lake and rose out of the water, keeping balanced on the rocks as it hiked steadily forward. Over the ledge Pocahontas made out a pair of broad shoulders and dark hair folded back in a bun. The figure approached her: a young, androgynous Chinese woman wrapped tightly in a towel.

"How was your swim?" Pocahontas smiled warmly.

"The water's amazing," the swimmer dried off.

Pocahontas set down her basket and turned to her companion. "Mulan?"

Mulan looked up.

"Something's calling me…" she began carefully. "I think I need to go home."

Mulan frowned for a minute, and then started pulling on her clothes. "Back to the Res? For a visit?"

"I don't know how long," Pocahontas admitted, staring down at her hands. "It might be awhile."

Plopping down against a tree trunk, Mulan searched for words. She hesitated, then quietly asked, "Is it us?"

Pocahontas locked eyes with Mulan, walking over to crouch down beside her. She took Mulan's chin in her hand, gently kissing her mouth. "Of course not."

She stood and walked to the ledge, over-looking the lake's expansive horizon. Mulan followed suit, kneeling to choose a flat rock, and then skipping it over the lucid surface. She took Pocahontas' wrist and pressed a stone to her palm. Pocahontas smiled and threw the stone across the water. It flew five skips before inevitably sinking into countless ripples.

"Yours always go so far," Mulan complained.

Pocahontas laughed, "Maybe I'll teach you sometime." She turned and resumed her position on the tree stump, whipping out her paintbrushes. Mulan lifted her towel from the ground, brushing it off.

"I'm going to run some errands. You need anything?" she twisted a lock of dark hair away from Pocahontas' face. "More paint?"

"Yes, thank you." Pocahontas smiled gratefully.

"What colors?"

She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. "The colors of the wind."

Mulan snorted, shaking her head as she walked away. "Whatever that means."


	2. Jane

*Disclaimer: The following characters are owned by Disney, Fox and/or other producers, I have simply revisioned them. The following may include quotes and references to such stories*

Jane

Jane stopped for a moment to look at her watch. "Right," she mumbled. Just enough time to pick up some lotion and head back to work. She chastised herself for not making the time for errands on weekends, like any normal person would.

She stumbled into the shop, triggering the bell above the door to chime.

The woman behind the counter glanced up from her records. "Hello"

"Hi," Jane chirped, "Just having a look about." Jane couldn't help but notice the woman's big dark eyes framed by such long lashes.

"Let me know if I can help" she smiled a little.

Jane fumbled around, momentarily forgetting why she'd gone in in the first place.

"Ah, bugger." she said, as she knelt to pick up the bowl previously filled with small, jelly-filled tubes.

"Here, let me help you" the woman walked over and helped her place the products back in order.

Jane giggled shyly and ran her hand through her short, chestnut hair. "I'm sorry," she managed.

"No problem."

Jane looked up to catch the woman staring at her.

Now it was her turn to shyly dart her eyes. "Sorry, I love your accent. Where are you from?" she asked, earnestly.

"Jolly Ole England!" Jane replied, thickening her accent. They both laughed.

"What is it with you American girls and accents? You've probably got more culture than I do in one finger," Jane joked, as they both straightened up.

The woman lifted her long black braid over her shoulder, revealing her nametag pinned "Jasmine" to her chest.

"I just love accents," she admitted. "I wish I had one."

"Ah, well. At least you don't appear to struggle with communication. Everyone younger than 12 and older than 60 don't seem to pick up a bloody word I'm saying. I've been asked twice today if I'm Harry Potter."

Jasmine laughed.

They stood for a moment, drinking each other in.

"Well can I ring anything up for you?" Jasmine asked.

"Of course," Jane replied without thinking. On the way to the register she snatched one of the small tubes from the bowl she had knocked over. She handed it to her over the counter, pleasantly surprised at the smoothness of her hands.

"Will that be it for you?" Jasmine widened her eyes, suppressing a smile.

"That'll do." Jane breathed.

As Jane left the shop, cursing herself for not asking her out, she reached in the bag to see just what it is that she purchased.

She groaned. She bought one tube of peach-scented lubricant. She couldn't tell which was worse; that she only bought lubricant or that it was peach-scented.

Without her much-needed body lotion, Jane was about to write her whole break off as a bust. Then she noticed the business card Jasmine left at the bottom of the bag.

"Alright Ms. Jasmine of _In the Rough: Beauty and Hygiene_, prepare to be pursued," she said to herself, climbing into her little brown car with a monkey swinging from the rearview mirror.


	3. Mulan

*Disclaimer: The following characters are owned by Disney, Fox and/or other producers, I have simply revisioned them. The following may include quotes and references to such stories*

Mulan

Mulan turned the corner, destination in sight. Her cabin house only 100 feet away, she picked up speed from jogging to a full-on sprint. Leaping over stepping stones, she crashed against her front door. She keeled over, her hands on the door to support her weight. She pushed herself too hard this time, she thought. She'd ignored what she learned in training: push yourself to the limit- anything past that could break you. After she caught her breath, she unlocked her door and walked in, eager for a shower.

In her bathroom, she threw off her clothes. Catching her reflection in the mirror, a wave of sadness killed her dopamine rush. Without her usual baggy attire, she couldn't hide from her very female body. She glared at her breasts and the curve of her hips. She undid the tie pulling her hair back, letting it graze her sharp shoulder blades.

She stared hard at her reflection, wishing her hips would melt away.

She slid the shower door closed behind her and let the water drench her figure. She washed her parts as if they were someone else's. No matter how hard she scrubbed, she knew she couldn't scrub away that strange girl she saw in the mirror.

After her shower, she dried off and pulled a long strap of cloth out of a shopping bag in her closet. She yanked off the tag and bound her chest as tight as she could. Throwing on a tank top and shorts, she peered in her bedroom mirror. She turned to the side, glowing at her new, masculine appearance.

The doorbell rang. Mulan quickly stuffed the bag back in the closet and skipped to the front room to answer the door.

"Hey, remember me?" a tall woman with a reddish brown ponytail waved through the doorway. "Cause I sure don't."

"Pfff," Mulan scoffed. "Amnesia's not funny."

"You think I don't know that?" she bustled in, setting a grocery bag on her kitchen counter. "This is coming from the woman who doesn't remember her childhood!" she reminded her.

Mulan looked worried. "How is therapy, by the way?"

"Eh, not so bad. I'm going to this new guy…Vladimir something-or-other. He said he's worked with people like me before; adults with blurry pasts. He seems to know what he's doing." She shrugged.

"Look what I got!" she sang, holding a six-pack in one hand and a fifth of vodka in the other.

"You know I don't drink, Anastasia." Mulan sat on the couch, folding her legs under her chin, glad that her friend hadn't noticed her new choice of lingerie.

"Ugh, don't call me that. It sounds so…self-righteous." She scrunched her nose and crumpled up the paper bag.

"Fine, Anya," Mulan smiled. "What's with the booze?"

"I know you and your girl don't drink, but…" she tilted her head playfully. "I do. And I'm here a lot." She stashed the vodka under the sink and took a beer for herself, joining Mulan on the sofa. "I figured I'd keep it on hand."

She took a sip. "So how are you and Pocahontas, anyway?" she asked, casually.

"She's visiting her father and grandmother back on the Res."

"Oh yeah?" she looked confused. "How long has she been gone?"

Mulan thought for a moment. "Three and a half weeks."

"Whoa!" Anya sounded shocked. "And you didn't go with her?"

She shook her head. "She didn't ask me to. I think it's something she needs to do on her own."

Anya didn't look convinced.

"What? It's not like I take her to China when I visit my family. Besides, I can totally relate to the whole retracing-your-roots thing."

"It's still a long time," she mumbled.

Mulan leaned back, sitting with her legs farther apart than usual. "Not really, when you think about it. I've been away for months at a time. It'd be unfair to ask her for anything different."

"Were you guys even together last time you were sent overseas?"

"Yeah."

Anya raised an eyebrow. "I seem to remember a certain John Smith keeping her company while you were away."

Mulan nodded. "Oh, I know. It's our agreement."

Anya scoffed, setting down her beer. "And how's that working for ya?"

"It's fine," Mulan laughed. "Plenty of couples are non-monogamous."

"Sir, yes Sir." Anya saluted sarcastically. She looked at Mulan. "Is there something different about you?"

Mulan scratched her crotch nonchalantly, lounging her arm across the back of the couch. "Nah."

"I think this is the most comfortable I've seen you," she laughed, squinting curiously at her friend.

Mulan took Anya's beer from the coffee table and took a swig. She burped.

"Alright!" Anya cheered. "I'm liking this new Mulan!"

"Me too," she smiled to herself.

"Now let's see how State's doing." Anya turned on the T.V. and flipped to the nearest sports channel, reclaiming her beer as she and her friend rooted on their favorite team.


	4. Jane 2

*Disclaimer: The following characters are owned by Disney, Fox and/or other producers, I have simply revisioned them. The following may include quotes and references to such stories*

Jane

"No, Father, for the last time, I have not watched David Attenborough's new show on the telly," Jane rolled her eyes as she switched her phone to the other ear. She groaned, "Because I'm not interested in bloody chimpanzees!"

She looked up from the sketchbook in her lap to see her roommate staring back with her hands on her hips. The roommate raised her eyebrows pointedly, gesturing to the scattered papers and trash gathered on the coffee table.

Jane winced apologetically, still listening to her father. The flustered roommate knelt down and picked up a pile of discarded scrubs from the floor where she stood. Pursing her lips she began throwing them one at a time.

_I'm Sorry! _Jane mouthed, dodging each article. "Listen, daddy, I love you but I've got to go now. I know, I know, just send me a clipping from the paper. Okay buh-bye." She quickly hung up. "Cindy! Cindy I'm sorry! Hold on just a moment, will you?!"

Cindy chased her around the room. "How-many-times-must-I-tell-you! I'm not your bloody maid!" she mimicked her accent jokingly.

Jane flopped onto the carpet. "I know, just kill me now…" she moaned dramatically, "I deserve to die…" Her yellow umbrella rolled from the windowsill on top of her. "Oof…aha!" it sprung open as a barricade.

"You don't deserve to die, you goof," Cindy sighed adjusting her bandana. "You deserve to be a grown woman and take care of your mess. You know I found two mice behind the washer/dryer this morning?"

"Ah," she peaked from behind her umbrella. "What did you name them?"

"Jane," she snatched away the umbrella, "you missed the point. Mice! Here-In our home!"

"I bet you named them, you tosser. Don't tell me you didn't." Jane smiled coyly as she stood up.

"Well…one of them was pretty cute," she admitted. "He was this little chubby guy…scurried away before I could get a good look at him. He looked like a…Gus-gus."

"Gus-gus? That's hardly a name for a mouse." She walked over to the coffee table to sort out her mess. She scooped up handfuls of old sketches and drawings.

"It just makes me sad that I'll have to set traps now…if only I could simply ask them to leave. Maybe pack some cheese for their journey." Cindy collapsed on the couch. "Oops," she mumbled as she pulled Jane's notebook from underneath her. She gazed at the penciled sketch, then back at Jane who was momentarily scratching at a mystery stain on the table. "Who's this?"

Jane glanced up, "Oh! Oh no one…well…I don't know." She grabbed her sketchbook and picked up her pencil, suddenly remembering what she was drawing. "Met her at a shop. It's just her eyes…" she muttered, "I've never seen such eyes." She retraced the dark lines with pencil, outlining Jasmine's face and shoulders.

"It's amazing how you can do that. You've only seen her once?"

"Sadly," she answered distractedly. Then she gasped, locking eyes with Cindy. "I totally

spaced it!" she exclaimed, as she rifled through the coffee table litter.

"Spaced what?" Cindy sat up, flattening her handmade dress.

"She left me her card! Her contact's on it." She pulled a crumpled bit of paper out from between a plate and some medical texts. "Gotchya!"

"Jaaane. You forgot you had her number?" Cindy asked, frowning disapprovingly.

"Fairly occupied here, thank you. You know, work and art and all." Jane justified, flattening out the card. "Besides, it wasn't that long ago. She'll surely still remember me." With that she jumped up and skipped off to her room.

"'K Bye," Cindy snorted, standing up to continue cleaning.

"Hi, Jasmine?" Jane opened bashfully.

"Yes…?"

"It's me, Jane."

"Uh…"

"Oh-uh-I stopped in your shop a short time ago. I believe I made some riff about looking like Harry Potter…you know, the big ole dykey Brit?"

Jasmine laughed, "Well some bells are ringing…"

"I believe I bought…erm…lube." Jane scrunched up her face, knowing this embarrassment would surface again.

"Ah yes." Jasmine recalled, "I do remember you. Wow, it has been more than a short time I believe."

"Really?" Jane frowned, looking around her room for the _In the Rough_ bag.

"Yeah, you must have been here a couple months ago. Didn't think I'd hear from you." The smile in her voice calmed Jane down.

"Ah, well, I'm sorry I'm not much for keeping track of…anything." Jane found the bag crumpled up under her desk, she emptied it to find the receipt and lube still stashed inside unopened. "Listen, would you erm…like to get some tea with me sometime? Let's say Friday?"

"I'm actually working all weekend."

"Oh, well, maybe I'll just stop in on Monday for my lunch break? Er, your lunch break rather?"

"How about I call you?" she still sounded interested, probably.

"Great! Great. Well see you then. Bye."

Jane hung up the phone. She sighed, "Pathetic."


	5. Mulan 2

*Disclaimer: The following characters are owned by Disney, Fox and/or other producers, I have simply revisioned them. The following may include quotes and references to such stories. This particular chapter also references a Yeah Yeah Yeah's song.*

Mulan

"Come onnn, Mulan, hurry up!" Anya whined from the doorway, pulling up her strapless blue dress. "It's cold as tits out here."

"Just a second!" she replied from inside the house. She pulled a cap over her hair, and looked over the reflection once more. Mulan posed, throwing shoulders back and accentuating her jaw. Excitement ran sparks down her spine, standing her hairs on end. She had an eerie feeling of safety, as if she were all synced up. She threw on a coat and met Anya at the door.

Anya furrowed her brow, leaning against the house. "That's 'dressing up'?"

Mulan shrugged her shoulders, cheeks turning red. "Yeah."

"Ohhh," Anya smiled, her foggy breath steeped with alcohol. "I see what you did there. _Drag_ show. Well aren't you clever." She smirked and turned to walk towards the car.

Mulan unhooked her keys from her pants and followed her to the lot. She had a weird sense of disappointment and relief from Anya's reaction. She hoped Anya wouldn't read too much into the wardrobe shift, but maybe it wouldn't be so bad for someone to notice...

Mulan shoved the keys in the ignition and they drove the rocky curve through the forest and onto the highway. As they neared town Anya stopped messing with the radio and put her hand on Mulan's shoulder.

"Mulan, you gotta get some action tonight. I know that's not what you want to hear, but it's true."

Mulan groaned. "I don't need that."

"Like hell you don't. I don't like how all cooped up you are in the woods. All alone…it makes me claustrophobic."

"Claustrophobic? In the woods?"

"You know what I mean! I just think you could use some company. I know lonely when I see it." Mulan pulled the car into a spot walking distance from the club. "I'm just glad we're going out tonight," Anya concluded with a grin. "WOOO!"

Mulan rolled her eyes and they both started walking toward the big, brightly lit entrance. The wide door was sculpted as a tiger's head and above the eyes read "Cave of Wonders: 21 and over."

"Let's just go in, I think my friends are already inside." Anya pulled Mulan behind her.

Mulan had been to a few bars before, but never to such an overwhelming dance club. Music radiated through the walls, and all sorts of flamboyant, colorful people crowded around standing tables and circled the stage. Rainbow flags and lights swept the walls and trimmed the bar. Yep, this place was queer alright.

"Dimitri!" Anya yelled, clomping up carpeted steps in heels. She hugged a man with mid-length tossed brown hair and a vest. "Dimitri, this is Mulan. Mulan this is Dimitri- that friend I've known since FOREVER. He's the only person I can remember from before the accident." A big smile stretched across her face, betraying her slight inebriation.

"Oh my God girl, don't even!" Dmitri laughed loudly. "This girl drives me insane," he said to Mulan. "I can't tell you how many adventures we've had and she is just _impossible_ to travel with. You know I taught her to walk in those heels." He turned back to Anya, "And pardon my manners- don't you look like royalty this evening, Anya."

Anya curtseyed, "Why thank you kind Sir."

"Care for a dance?" he asked her.

"Oh, um, Mulan is that okay? I'll be right back-" Anya started.

"-Oh yes, she'll be right back." Dimitri drew Anya to the dance floor.

Mulan sighed and looked around. Well, she thought, 'might as well order myself something. She squeezed through the crowd and sat down at the bar. She spotted the bartender.

"Hi, excuse me!" she called, her voice drowned out in the music. She cleared her throat and spoke in a deeper voice: "You there- excuse me!"

The bartender turned around. "Sorry, didn't see you there, man. What can I get ya?"

Mulan replied with the deep voice, "Uh, I'd like some water to start with, please. No ice."

"Coming right at you," he poured a glass and slid it over the counter.

"Excuse me, Sir," Mulan heard a woman's voice behind her. "Is anyone sitting there?"

Mulan realized she meant her and turned around to see a girl with big blue eyes. "Oh, uh, no. Please sit down."

"Thank you! It's getting a bit crowded here, don't you think?" she sat beside her on a stool, adjusting her pale blue headband.

Mulan nodded, afraid that at any moment she'd realize that she's not a "sir."

"I'm Cindy," she extended her hand. "What's your name?"

"Uh…"

"Do you…have a name?" she teased.

"Yes! I have a name…and it's a boy's name too…Ping!"

"Ping," Cindy smiled. "What a nice name."

"Ladies, Gentleman, she-he's and he-she's!" bellowed a broad, shirtless man on the stage. "I am Genie, and you are all about to witness the magnificence- and maleficence- of our fantastic Saturday night show. I give to you- the one and only- Queen of Hearts!"

Mulan and Cindy both turn towards the stage as a queen wearing a gown of red and pink shimmering hearts marched down the run way. _Off, Off, Off With your head! Dance, Dance, Dance 'til you're dead!_, blared through the speakers and filled the room.

"That dress is gorgeous." Cindy swooned.

Mulan spotted Anya slowly making her way towards the bar with Dmitri. She turned to Cindy.

"Hey…uh…do you want to dance?" she asked in her deep voice.

"Huh? Oh sure. Come with me, Charming," she led Mulan onto the dance floor.

The music pulsed through the room as queen after queen rocked the stage in a confidence that Mulan couldn't help but envy. They flipped their hair back so naturally and their strut felt so…uninhibited. Mulan admired these queens from afar while periodically locking eyes with Cindy, who was getting really into dancing. Thankfully she didn't make any moves towards dancing closer, or it could get pretty awkward fast.

After the next couple songs had ended Cindy stops dancing. She pulled out a locket time piece and frowned, looking back up at Mulan.

"Ping," she leaned in. "It's midnight."

Mulan looked confused. She didn't generally like to stay up late either, but the show wasn't even over.

"Goodbye!" she starts back towards the entrance.

"Wait, don't go yet." Mulan followed her.

"I have to go. My friends are waiting for me. It was really nice meeting you."

Mulan deflated. "Will I see you again?"

"I don't know, I don't really come here often." Cindy thought for a second and then pulled off one of her shoes and gave it to her. "If you see me again it was meant to be. Otherwise, here's a memento."

Mulan took the shoe uncertainly and watched Cindy leave the club. She held it to a light and saw the name Cindy Ella stitched into the side. Weird gift, but at least Mulan had something tangible to remember her night as Ping. Now all she had to do was find Anya, and maybe soon drive back to the shrouded woods she knew and loved.


End file.
